Asperger's and Religion

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Aspies can develop imaginary friends.
Religion depends on the belief structure that implies the psychological utility of imaginary friends (e.g., God).
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If an Aspie realizes this, an Aspie must apply "Cartesian doubt" method to their religious beliefs so as to clear out, or differentiate, auditory or visual hallucinations from actual events of "revelation" or what have you.

For my part, I've expressed the symptom since childhood of referring to others by their first name or full name. Generally my speech has always been heavily pedantic, to the chagrin of my mother and family. My grandmother, when I was in my teens, gave me the nickname "Little as*hole." Tony Attwood suggests,

The choice of words for children with Asperger’s syndrome can be overly formal, as in the example of a five-year-old girl who, when collected from school by her older sister, asked, ‘Is my mother home?’ The older sister’s reply was ‘No, Mum’s not home yet.’ Clearly, the family used the word ‘Mum’, but the girl with Asperger’s syndrome used an unusually formal way of referring to her mother. People may be addressed by their full name and title; instead of saying ‘Hello, Mary’, the child may say ‘Hello, Mrs Mary Smith.’

As a child, I would refer to my biological father as "Jerry" or "Jerry Alexander." My mother took this as an act of defiance both to her and to "God."

I wonder how many Aspie children there are who, worse than receiving _no diagnosis_, but even further find that their symptoms offset them from popular religion, automatically placing them in "deviant" or "sinful" social patterns. Rather than recognizing the presented limitations of the disorder for what they are, parents of religious persuasion, I suggest, vilify a symptom at the cost of the child's psychological well-being.

Last edited by nerdfiles on 13 Jun 2012, 12:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Imaginary friends are a product of the unconscious, and I do think spirituality encompasses the unconscious.

Based on what I know, I don't think this applies only to Aspies or any more to Aspies than to anyone else. But it seems that many Aspies are introverts and because of social limitations our introversion may be exaggerated in effect, and introversion means a more subjective, internalized focus, so perhaps more affinity for opening up the contents of the unconscious.

But that doesn't explain Aspies who are atheists, or NTs, especially extroverted NTs, who are religious.

Not all spiritual paths are alike. I can see no way that Basicanism could cause the issue of which you complain, though I suppose it's all in the interpretation. Maybe more parents of Aspies should look into it. (No, I don't really mean to push it at people. Please try to understand that I'm just making a practical observation. Basicanism actually forbids pressuring people into becoming Basicans.)

Seriously, though, I wonder if having Buddhist parents or parents practicing one of the many American Indian traditions would be so quick to take the attitude of which you complain. In the Western world, there's a habit of thinking of religion in very limited terms and only considering a small number of the ones out there. I think that limits the concept of religion in general and allows people to either praise or put down all religions, as though they all involved the same things and were practiced in the same way by all people. That's not really fair.

If we can, I'd like to avoid talk of cultural relativism. Granted, not all religions are alike, but at the same time we could describe the cultural differences ad naseum.

It should be clear that after my second component of the argument suggests an opening for comparative religion. I say that the "belief structure [implies] ..." not that the belief structure "necessitates" or "entails." I apologize for the brevity or apparent gloss I've given to my points, but I assure you, you will not actually discover the bigoted argument that you are treating currently. I believe much of your point is red herring. I also say that religion "depends" on such a belief structure; it is perfectly fair to say that. I am not saying that it "requires" but rather that, broadly speaking, if we are talking at this level of abstraction or generalization, we will be talking about a significant and relevant sample of religious orientation as regards most Western practices.

In the most general sense: most, if not all religions, allow for "transcendental conversation," regardless of _who_ or _what_ is, or the nature of the entity, in dialogue: so communicating with one's own personal high consciousness, "God," angels, deceased relatives, etc.

Any causal story that connects spirituality and the unconscious may be problematic to make coherent and compelling. However, your points are what I am after. I do not believe I've claimed that any thing in particular "applies" to Aspies other than the well evidenced claim that imaginary friends for Aspies exist. The concept of an imaginary friend is the basis for most Story Telling Models of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. We have learned to leverage Aspies "imaginative" faculties to help them construct productive lives for themselves. So, perhaps, I agree that it doesn't apply only to Aspies, as I've not suggested anything that might particularly apply to Aspies.

What I am suggesting is that [if] an Aspie realizes the dependency religion has on a belief structure that implies the utility of imaginary friends, the Aspie can control, or apply governance, to which of their imaginations dominate or dictate the flow of their lives. Certainly [some] imaginary friends are unhelpful.

Please re-read:



My "I suggest" is a "may" clause. So re-rendered: "... presented limitations of the disorder for what they are, parents of religious persuasion [may] vilify a symptom at the cost ..."